Serving The Lord

This week 26 youths and five adults from three South Florida Presbyterian churches are in the Dominican Republic city of La Vega on a mission trip.

The group arrived on Tuesday and represents The Presbyterian Church at Weston, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Hollywood and a Haitian church, El Shaddai Presbyterian Church in Miami.

During their six-day stay in La Vega, about 70 miles northwest of the country's capital of Santo Domingo, they will do construction work on a school, assist in a medical clinic and help out at a vacation Bible school.

To prepare for their trip, the group worked on several area mission projects including cleaning, organizing and painting the preschool at Iglesia de la Calle Ocho en Shennandoah church in Miami.

Here are some of their observations as they worked to get ready for this week's trip to the Dominican Republic:

Brandon Collins, 14, of Davie, Driftwood Middle School in Hollywood:

When I went to the serve-a-thon I was sure I was going to be bored and not have a good time. I heard that we were going to be painting. And I don't enjoy painting very much.

But I went anyway and actually enjoyed myself. I made new friends and had a great time. I am going to the Dominican Republic because I think it will be a great time for me to witness to people and also to learn more about myself spiritually.

Jordan Lorow, 14, of Weston, Western High School in Davie:

I'm looking forward to the Dominican Republic trip this year because when I went last year, God spoke to me loud and clear. He showed me what a sinner I was and he set my mind and my heart for servant-hood.

Let me tell you, I had never worked so hard in my life and I did it all for the glory of God. In fact, I was working so hard that I got sick and I had to go to the hospital on my birthday. It ended up that I had parasites in my stomach. So I had to stay overnight in a hospital in the Dominican Republic.

You think I was scared. You bet. But I prayed and prayed and ended up just fine. Besides that I had never had such joy in my heart. Serving others for God is the best feeling ever.

When I got there, (Shennandoah) I was assigned to plant and paint. Boy, I really didn't know how to plant.

My first thought was I hope we do a good job, because we really didn't understand what we were doing. We planted and painted for half of the day. Well, at least it felt like it.

When we left that afternoon, I really felt good. I know the Lord is going to use that place.

Joseph Emanuel, 17, of Davie, Western High School in Davie:

My first reason for going with the other teen-agers to spend a summer day working at a local church was to improve the community. The local church's neighborhood is pretty bad. Fixing up the church makes its appearances more appealing and brings people to investigate and question what it is.

My second reason is to `better a life.' We're bettering a life by working to serve the Lord and show his love. We are also doing this by inviting people in the community to come to church and bring their familiesas well.

Our motives for going to Miami on a Saturday to work and sweat outside in the sun is to glorify God and share this goodness by serving others and watching the community grow and come together.

Mark Collins, 15, of Davie, Boyd Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes:

I served at Shennandoah not by my own will, but because of God's. If my faith did not convict me to be a servant of God and of man, I would not. I would probably stay home and watch television.

However, I felt that I was not cleaning up churches or witnessing to others, but I was furthering the kingdom of God. I received great joy and satisfaction in knowing that my minute contribution can be taken by God and used in ways unimaginable to me.